Well reamer



Jan. 15 1924. 1,480,578

E. 'nLToN WELL REAME R VFiled Maron 14 1922 sneets-sheat 1 @Sayer-weg Jan. 15 1924. 1,480,578

E. TILTON WELL REAMER Filed March 14 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fm z' mwN-ran o's Wornn/ yPatented Jan. 15, 1924.

AUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELVIN TILTON, F WHEELING, WEST VIBGNINA, ASBGNOB T0 HmSELF, JOSEPH gr' DU BOIS, AND SAMUEL G. CROW, BOTHOF BELLAIBE, OHIO, AND C. MONROE WAT- soN, or WHEELING, wnsr VIRGINIA.

.WELL 3mm.

Appneaan ma umn 14,1922. sum 10.543,56?.

ATo all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ELvN Timon, a citizen of the United States, residin at Vheeling, in the county -of Ohio and btate of Vest Virginia,lhave invented a new and useful Improvement in Well Beamers, of

which the following is a specification.

This invention 'relates to a reamer for cleaningA out and enlarging the lower uncased portion of an oil Well or thel like so that a freer flow of oil or other fiii'id may be produced.

A general object of the invention is to 'provide a reamer having cutting arms which may be closed inward toward each other for lowering the reamer down or raising it from a Well; and which may be opened progressively during a reaming operation so that they are at all times in Contact with the Walls of the hole in the producing portionof'the Well as such hole is enlarged by the reaming operation. i

A more speciic object of the invention is to provide a reamer embodying Ingew ns which act both positively and automaticnly i to force the arms of the reamer outwbdlyq during the operation 0f cleaning 'and e117A lar ing the hole. u'

nother specific object of the invention is to provide a reamer in which all the.

and capable of satisfactory Y..

'retaining nut 10 arranged to engagea vscrew-threaded portion 11 at the extremity of the arm 1. the

parts are sturd operation` at times, so that the reamer stands up in service and operates unfaii ingly.

Another specific object of the invention is to provide ay reamer head for receiving the. pivoted cutting arms which is not onlysturdy in construction und provides strong and smooth bearings for the arms, but which may readily be taken apart and put together for replacement of bushings or for repairs to the arms or their cutters.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a front elevation of the rearner, showing the cutting arms thereof in extended or operating position; Figure 2 is a front elevation of the remmer, showing the arms in their inward or collapsed position; Figure 3 is 4a detail view of one of the cutting arzus of the reanicr, showing the arm front elevation; Figure 4 is a detail of the arm, showing the same in side elevation Figure 5 is a top plan view of the reamer the cuttin :v ricker head; Figure 6 is a vertical section through the reamer head on the line 6-6 Figure 5 showing the bushin and the trunnions of arms o the reamer in position therein; lure 7 is a side elevation of the reamer hea Figure 8 is a detail elevation of the' double cam for spreading the cutting arms of the reamer; Figure 9 1s a top plan view thereof; Figure 10 is a plan view of one of the pricker wheels or cutters df the learner; Figure 11 is a vertical section through one of the end cutters of the cutting arms of the rearner; and Figure 12 is a vertical section through the retaining nut for securing such end cutter in position on the cutting arm.

In the drawings the reference numeral 1 designates the cutting arms of the reamer, which are pivotally mounted in the reame:- head 2 and arel spread by means of .the operating cam 3.

Surrounding each of the arms 1 is a sleeve l4 upon which are mounted the` wheels or cutters 5f separated washers 6. As shown, these pricker Wheels "or lcutters 5 are of disk shape of the arms 1 is provided with an end cnt- ;Sogreater length than the majority 'of the cutters of the arm, which has at the extremity thereof a recess 9 in which fits. a

It will be understood that ricker wheels 5 are free to rotate on the ushin 4 of each of the arms, so that in use of t e device they roll along the material which is being cut b the reamer. Because of the engagement o the retaining rnbifinteriorly of the end cutter, the means o'hoth arms for retaining the cutter in position are protected during the useof the reamer and the arms are rendered effective for cutting throughout their entire length.

The reamer head Q is.of novel construction, and is particularly designed to se curely hold the cutting arms in pivoted relation thereto, While permitting such cutting arms to be readily removed from and replaced in the reamer head. For this purpo. e the reamer head 2 is divided horizonta y on the lin'e af-a to form two matching portions 2 and 2b. Both of these portions are provided with matching recesses formv ing the rectangular bearing seats 12, and are mutually secured by means of bolts 13 assing through both portions of the head.

oth members of the reamer head are out away adjacent the bearing seats 12 to provide squared spaces 13 for the reception of the upper extremities of the reamer arms 1. Fitting in the bearing seats 12 are externally squared bushings `14 in which lie the trunnions 15 carried by the reamer arms 1.

In assembling these parts of the device the reamcr head 2 is separated, the trunnions 15 of the arms are inserted in the bushings 14 and the bushings placed in position in the bearin seats 12. The parts 2 and 2b ofthe heat may then be fastened `together by means of the bolts 12.

It will be readily appreciated that this forni of head provides means for pivoting the arms of the reamer which are strong, which permit {"rce swinging of the arms, and which also permit rcady attachment of the arms to the head and ready removal o l the arms therefrom.

Both the reanier head 2 and operating Cam 3 are carried by a short shaft 1G. which passes throughand is freely rotatalile iu a vertical orifice 1i' in the reamer head. and which has the cam 3 disposed adjacent its lower extremity. As shown, the cam 3 is formed integral witli the shaft 1G, bnl it may it' so desired be scoured thereto in :in v suitable manner. In order that the shaft l() may be rotated in using the remuer it is joined with tuhin 18, which extends to the mouth of the Weill and may he rotated h v any mechanism adapted to that purpose. As shown, such connection is hy meansl of a step-up connection 19 to which the shaft il' is screw-threaded and which is in turn screw-threaded to the tubiirgIr 19.

When the reamer is lowered into thi` n'i-ll the arms are in their inward or collapsed position, shown in Figure 2 of thv drawings. so that the cross sectional area ot' thc reamcr as a whole is relatively small and it may he assed downwardly through thc woll rasing.

he cutting arms 1 of the rcamcr remain in this position until they are forced outwardly by the action ot' the cam il caused by rotation of the tubing 19.

The cam 3 comprises a central portion 2() which, as shown, is a continuation ot' the shaft 1G, and oppositely curved arms or Wings 21 and 22 extendingr in opposite direction from such central portion 20. Each of the wings 21 and `22 has a longer convex surface 2Oa and a shorter concav(l surface 20h, When the cam 3. and its carrying shaft 16 are not beingr rotated by means of tubing 19, the cutting arms 1 lie in their inward or colla sed position on the concave sides 20b of tilde wings 21 and 22. lVhen the tubing 19 is rotated, the cam 3 is rotated there with, and bearing against the cutting arms 1, serves to rotate the reamer head 2 and cutting arms 1 for causing the cutting arms to exert a cutting action on the walls of the hole in the well. As the tubing 19 and cam 3 are rotated the cutting arms 1 ride out wardly along the convex surfaces 20'of the wings of the cam, and are forced thereby into intimate contact with the walls of the hole.

The outward spread of the arms 1 may be limited and regulated by means of set screws 23; which are screw-threaded in the upper member 2 of the reamcr head, and may be caused to project the desired distance to Contact and check the spread of the cut ting arms. This prevents centrifugal force from causing the arms 1 to swing outwardly out of contact with the cam 3 when the reamer is used in a shot hole in which cavities of considerable extent may occur.

In order that the action of the (am 3 may operate to spread the arms uniformly and positively up to the limit of spread for which they are set, the arms 1 carry rollers 24 with which the cam 3 is in direct contact, and the cam is particularly designed to produce the spreading action in all angular positions of the arms relatively thereto.

Is is to be observed in this connection that the wings 21 and 22 ofthe cam are not only curved in a horizontal plane, but that each wing is also curved in a vertical plane so that as each of the arms moves outwardly on a wing the vert-ical contour line of the wing remains parallel to the longitudinal axis of the arm. i In order that the convex surfaces 20a of each of the win fs 21 and 22 may lie in such contact with t e r llers 23 as to exert au upward and outward force against thc arms at all times` these surfaces are hevelled progressively outward from the central portion 2() of the cani. is shown` the angle of the bevel of such surfaces 23 increases frfim approximately one degree adjacent the central portion 20 of the cam to au angle of approximately forty-one degrees adjacent the' outer extremity of each arm.

It, will thus be seen that th'c cam 3 exerts at all times a positive fol-oc holding the cutting arms to their Workgand that it prevents either of the arms from being knocked inwardly if it should strike any projection in the wall of the hole, as the positive action of the cam duringits rotation immediately checks any such tendency.

lVhen rotation of the shaft. 16 and cam 3' is suspended the cotti-ng arms 1 are carried inwardly by their own weight, so that they ride along the arms of the cam into the position shown in Figure 2 of the drawings. With the arms in this position the reamer as a whole may he readily withdrawn .from the well.

a plurality of wings arranged to bear 'a-itli, and a rotatable member arranged to lie-ar against said rollers and by its simple rotal ion to simultaneously swing said arms about a `.'erti 'al axis and spread the same.

1l. In a remuer for oil Wells and the like a plurality of pivoted cutting arms, rollers mounted on said arms coneentrically there with. and a earn mounted for rotation and having a plurality of wings arranged to hear against said rollers and to spread the arms upon simple rotation of the cam.

1i. In a reamer for oil Wells and the like a plurality of ivoted cutting arms, rollers mounted on said arms concentrically therewith, and a cam having a plurality of wings arranged to hear against said rollers to simultaneously swing said cutting arms about a vertical axis and spread the same upon simple rotation of the cam.

13. In a reamer for oil Wells and the like a plurality of pivoted cutting arms, rollers mounted on said arms coneentriulllyY therewith, and a cam mounted for rotation and having a plurality of wings arran ed to bear against said rollers to sprea said cutting arms upon simple rotation of the cam, the operating surfaces of said cam wings being lievelled at an anle increasing progressively outwardly of sait arms.

14. In a reamer for oil Wells and the like a plurality of pivoted cutting arms, and a ram mounted for rotation and having a lurality of Wings arranged to bear against rollers on said arms to simultaneously spread and swing said arms about a rertieal axis upon sim )le rotation of the ram, tlie operating suriaees of said cam Wings being lievelled at an angle increasing progressively outwardly of said arms.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto set my hand.

ELVIN TLTON.

iV it nesses C. M. WATSON, C. A.fNonn1s. 

